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Information content of chemical structures and some possible biological applications

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to calculate the amount of information contained in a chemical or biological structure, and to estimate the energy needed for obtaining an organization unit. The first problem is solved by applying H. J. Morowitz's reasoning (Bull. Math. Biophysics,17, 81–86, 1955) and, for the second one, calculations based upon bond formation heat are carried out.Information content theoretical physical entropy, real physical entropy, informational entropy or negentropy entropic information or neginformation, heat amount, as well as relationships between these system parameters, are defined and used.

The investigation covers 63 chemical substances (inorganic and organic compounds). The numerical results should show that common organized systems happen to be between two extreme kinds of systems: highly disordered systems and ideally organized systems.

Some speculative numerical applications are carried out regarding chlorophyllian photosynthesis and information amount accumulated through biological growth. It seems that Information Theory may predict some biocalorimetric results.

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Valentinuzzi, M., Eugenio Valentinuzzi, M. Information content of chemical structures and some possible biological applications. Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics 25, 11–27 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02477767

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